Earth auger



Oct. 4, 1932; A. w. SPAULDING 1,831,101

EARTH AUGER Filed June 20, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l am BY ambwv- My A TTORNEYf Oct. 4, 1932. w, SPAULDING 1,881,101

' EARTH AUGER Filed June 20, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Oct- 3 r A. w. SPAULDING 1,331,101

EARTH AUGER Filed June 20,. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR.

mms mm BY Mia/Law;-

A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 4, 1932. A. w. SPAULDING EARTH AUGER 4SheerQs-Sheet 4 1 Filed June 20, 1929 a rdu w. BY Gflw v- Qua/u ATTORNEYS,

v UNITED S TES PATENT OFFICE 1 ARCH w. SPAULDING, or ntrnnnnrown, OIIIO, ssIGNOR 'ro 'rIII: AMERICAN ROLLING MILL COMPANY, or-MInnLn rowN, 01110, A CORPORATION OF OHIO EARTH Arman Application filed 31:11:20,

My invention is directed primarily to the placing of pipes in the earth by drillinga hole therein with an auger; arid its most imr' portant application is to the installation of corrugated iron pipe. Thisapplica'tion is a continuation in part of my vformer application Serial No. 263,918, filed March 22, 1928.

My process is particularly useful where the present trench methods Offinstalling pipes sonable distances without disturbing the surwould invite additional movement face, andv at much less cost, particularly in places where a trench would have to be quite deep; M apparatus is" also especlally adapted or installing perforated, corrugated pipes to drain water pockets, landslides and other unstable soil conditions,

Where only one endof the pipe will be exposed, the other being located possibly in the center of a. high embankment or deep into the soil of a land-slide, where an open tiench an already unstable soil condition.

It is an object of my invention to provide an earth auger for pipeinstallation, which can be withdrawn or advanced through the pipe, and which will carry the pipe into the earth with it. I I

Itis a second object of my invention to provide a construction such that the pipe will not turn with the au er, nor. exercise'any excavating function. In this way, I avoid the removal of the galvanized coating on a culvert by attrition againstthe earth in a boring operation, or by the abrasion of exca vated materials carried back throu hit.

It is still another object of my nvention to provide-an auger,which will cut a hole larger thanthe pipe through which it has been advanced, and which it earrieswith it.

I It is still another object of my invention to provide means whereby the culvert may be advanced along a substantially level floor 1929. swarm. 372,428.

into thecut made, so that the cut and the culvert will not tend substantially to follow a curved path downwardly, or bind in the hole being out.

It is still a further object of my invention to provide a novel mechanism for the accomplishment of these things, including means tor operating the auger, and means for ad vancin-g the boring mechanism and the culvert into the hole.

These and other objects of my invention, which may be pointed out hereinafter, or will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish bythat certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed, reference being had to the drawings, which accompany this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand operated form of my device.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the driven end of said hand operated type of my mechamsm.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, with parts In section.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of a complete motor driven machine for installing corrugated cu1verts.' v

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of the motor drive and advancing means of the example of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the end which enters the earth, showing the auger bit and reamer.

Broadly speaking, I provided an auger adapted to bore a hole in the earththrough which a pipe orculvert may be advanced. I equip this anger with reamers adapted toenlarge the hole so that it is greater in diameter than the outside diameter of the pipe to be installed. I providea shaft to operate the auger,and a tube surrounding this shaft to convey awaythe earth and gravel,

which is loosened thereby. This tube is adaptedto fit within the pipe to be installed, and I provide means for advancing the pipe and the tube, and means for operating the auger.

Referring to Figure 1, numeral 1 indicates a. corrugated pipe or culvert to be installed, let us say in a fill. I provide a tube 2 of such a diameter as Will fit within the culvert, which tube p ds l i s. a ing a shaft 4,"'which 'exte'iidsfroin "either end of it. Upon the" end adapted to enter;

the, earth I-;- position:- an: auger; havin g im the;

gtions of, the tube '2 may be joined together by screw nipples or collars 21. I

- 1 Figures 5.and 6 show a difi'erenttype of form shown-ya frame- 5, to, which are attached blades 6. Expansible reamers 7 are linked to and extended out past opposite sides 'o'f the frame, as will be clear from the drawings, and the construction of-the's'e reamers1s'sucl1 thatwhen, contracted, their distance apart ter th'aii the' inside diaiiiet'e'n Toassist in the contraction of the'reamer "tube maybepositively advanced as well as" the culvert. Inasmuch as t'he corrugatedcon-i. struction of culverts, although giving great. transverse or compressive strength, provides'j "c'ulv'ert, 'and'a liability to collapse, the strain preferable, however'fas shown in Figures 2 and '8, tOf provide a second collar? 14, which;

may be clamped to the tubef2,'sotli iit the an accordion-like"resiliency en'clwise of the of ad'van'cing the ii'ichani'sm', exclusive of the shaft and auger should not preferably be. 1 placed upon theculvert alone. In the use of) thermore,i1iy invention contemplates the sup- .my device, the culvert will be jlined up in i the properposition, so that upon the rotation of the shaft, theaugermav bite into the earth; and to advance the anger the depth of the culvert, IYprovide a jackf15,'which bears against an abutment 1 6, provided for the purpose, andwwhichalso bears with its head '17 againstthe yoke '11'. Means are provided for operating the'ja k'; as b a lever shown bearings within the tube 2, and these 18, all as willbe well understood. In the' embodim'ent of Figure 3 I have not mayor maynot be provided, depending upon c'on'ditions'fsuch asthe length of culvert to be installed, the diameterlthereof. Particularly for small diameter culverts, which are r not to be installed for great lengths, no bearings need be provided within the tube 2. It

is contemplatedthatshaft and tube sections,

equippedor not withbearings, and with a spiral conveyor, may be, made as standard sectionsjfor agiveii size of culvert, and may bejoined one on the other, as the work of installation progresses, and additional culvert sections are added. A connecting device is indicated at 19 in Figure 1, and may comprise any well known device for connecting sections of shafting, such as a. collar cq pped with key-ways or set-screws. As

the use ofthe common culvert joining clamp,

"or:collar,'..indicated at 20 in Figure 5. Secauger than that of Figure 1, though comprising essentially. the same elements. It has a blade 22, tapered and curved (see Figure (i}) -,':'aiid provided with sharp cutting edges. Collapsible reanier blades 23 are, in this instance, l1lll gtktl -tOitlle lllgl lll auger blade itself. In the operation of the anger, the earth will tend to expand these reaincrs, but when the anger is withi'lrawn through the culvert, they.

will strike the end thereof, and be knocked ifdowii into collapsed position. It is some- 'tinies' advantageous to provide a section of spiral[conveyor 8a, which is double adjacent the bit rather than single, as elsewhere, since this diac'ilitatcs the initial movement of the earth -l\l v-. invention contemplates the supporting of the pipe 2, and thecut-ting mechanism within the culvert. lhismay'be done by a r ng 2% in Figure-1, or by means of a support 25- in Figure 5. which ,has a tongue bearingn a groove- 26 in the end of the tube.

It is not necessary absolutely to close the space between thfle culvert and the tube. but

'it'is desirable to'arrangc so that the tube carries all of. the dirt and materials loosened bv the auger bit. In this way there is no attritionupon the corrugated culvert. Furjbottonrof the cut, and the work progresses,

it will'either follow a path curving downwardl y into the fill, or will tend to bind great- 1y. By arranging the mechanism to cut eccentrically of the culvert, I find I can push the culvert along upon a level floor, and make,

my excavation and installation without sub--v stantial curvature orhinding.

,Figures 4a and 5 illustrate a motor driven installation, which may comprise the same shaft 4;, tube 2, culvert 1, conveyor 8 and 8a, and bit 22. Rails 28 are laid in alignment with the excavation which is to be made, and are spiked to appropriate supports." A main by means of rollers or wheels 30 in feet 31. The main framework bears. standards 32, which carry a motor. In this instance, a gasoline motor 33 of the air cooled variety is shown, having a transmission or gear box 3 controlled by a shift lever 35, and a work shaft 36. Power from this work shaft is transmitted as by means of a chain 3T-to a s rocket 38 on ashaft 39. This shaft, t rough a gearbox 40, desired to the shaft 4. A collar 14a clamps the tube 2 to the framework, and another collar 13a clamps the culvert to the frame:

work. Another rail 41 is spiked to the sup-,

ports centrall of the two rails 28, and at the rear of the ev'ie, this rail comes against 'the--a-butment 16a, which is made suitably strong to beai 'tliethrust, The upper side of this rail is notched as at 41a, and a jack 42, having an operating lever socket 43, pp-

crates upon the rail $41, and bears'agalnst the gear box 40. It will now be understood that this gear box contains athrust bearing for the shaft 4;. An operationof the jack 42 will tend to advance the entire mechanism along the rails 28, as. will be clear. I

It will be evident thatinodifications of my invention-may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of it.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an earth auger, a pipe, a boring shaft passii'ig through said pipe and journaled in bearings therein, an anger bit on the end of said boring shaft, said auger bit provided with expansible reamer blades, said shaft within said pipe bearing a spiral conveyor to convey the earth loosened by said auger bit through said pipe, and means for supporting the pipe in a conduit to be installed eccentrically of the latter.

2. In an earth auger for installing pipes,

an auger bit and shaft therefor, a pipe to be installed, and a hollow member encircling said shaft, about which hollow member the pipe is placed, said shaft provided with a conveyor operating in said hollow member, means for rotating said shaft and means for advancing said shaft and said auger bit, and means for supporting said shaft, and said auger'bit, eccentrically of said pipe.

3. In an earth auger for installing pipes, a hollow member about which a pipe may be placed, a drill shaft passing through'said hollow member, an auger bit on the end of said drill shaft, means for progressively ro tating said drill shaft without rotating said hollow member, means for advancing said drill shaft and said auger into the earth, and means for advancing the pipe with .said auger and means .for holding said hollow transmits power as .member and said shaft eccentric a lly of said pipe. framework 29 is supported upon these rails v In an earthauger, a pipe, a boring shaft passing through said pipe and journaled in bearings therein,.an auger bit on the end of i said boring shaft, said auger bit provided with expansible reamer blades, said shaft within said pipe bearing a spiral conveyor to convey the earth loosened by said auger bit through said pipe, and means for holding said shaft eccentrically of said pipe, for the purpose described.

5. In, an earth boring tool, an auger bit and shaft, a conveyor on said shaft, and a tube surrounding said conveyor, a pipe to be installed surrounding said tube, means for holding said pipe eccentrically of said shaft, expansive reamer blades on said auger bit, whereby said auger bit will cuta hole larger than the diameter of said pipe, a frame, connections between said frame, said tube and said pipe, rails and means for mountin said frame, whereby it may be advanced along said rails, a motor mounted on said frame, power connections between said motor and said shaft, and means for advancing said frame along said rails. 6. In an earth boring tool, an auger bit and shaft, a conveyor on said shaft, and a tube'surrounding said conveyor, a pipe to be installed surrounding said tube, means for holding said pipe eccentrically of said shaft, expansive reamer blades on said auger bit, whereby said. auger bit will cut a hole larger than the diameter of said pipe, a frame, connections between said frame, said tube and said pipe, rails and means for mounting said frame, whereby it may be advanced along said rails, a motor mounted on said frame, power connections between said, motor and said shaft, and means for advancing said frame along said rails, said means comprising a third parallel rail having notches and bearing against. an abutment, a jack bearing against "said frame and operating upon the. notches in said third rail, said frame supporting a thrust bearing for said shaft.

7. In an earth boring tool for the installation of culverts, rails in alignment with the cut to be made, a framework supported on said rails, a culvert section clamped to said framework, a tube within said culvert section, and also clamped to said framework, a shaft bearing a conveyor within said tube, an anger bit fitted with expansive reamers on the end of said shaft, extending beyond said culvert, a thrust bearing for said shaft in said frame. a motor mounted on said frame,

jmeans for transmitting power from said mofor to said shaft, and means for advancing tend through the pipe, a conduit to surround the boring means inside the pipe with open} l ends near respective endsof the'pipelifor pas sage of borings and having means to engage the pipe so as to. hold the conduit and the boring means with the effective-axis of theboring means above the, central axis of the pipe, driving means at one end of said bor I 'ing means for operating said boring means,

and means atsaid end for positively and simultaneously advancin the boringfmeans,

the conduit and the pipe into the earth.

9. In an earth-boringmachine to make a substantially non-vertical bore and to be 0perated through a pipe which is to be left in c the bore, and comprising boring means to extend through the pipe, means to engage the pipe and'the boring means to hold the boring means With its effective axis abovethe central.

axis of the pipe, driving means at one end of the boring means for operating said' boring means, and means atsaid'end for posis I I tively' and simultaneously advancing the bOI- ing means and the pipe into the earth.

ARCH W; SPAULDING. 

